‘Atrociously dragged out’: Inside the chaos of the Love Island 2024 final

And just like that, the most chaotic eight weeks of Love Island 2024 are over, resolved in a chaotic, rather unsatisfying final. The budget cuts were evident and you’d be right in arguing that there was more tension between Sean and Joey than most of the couples, but at least we got to see the most deserving couple take home the prize (in my opinion).

The final brought a lot of very weird and underwhelming segments, but also some adorable ones, so enjoy this rundown of the finale’s most chaotic moments.

The breakfasts in bed

via ITV

I guess this was a cute notion, but it just felt really staged to watch. We saw three seconds of the girls “making” the breakfast platters (that looked mostly pre-made) and then they all seemed to be carrying up identical plates. Struggling to believe this was a spontaneous idea.

The girls’ gorgeous dresses vs the boys’ disappointing suits

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The girls, of course, looked absolutely stunning in their final dinner outfits. They were dressed to the nines, yet the boys came out in the most disappointing suits fresh out of the bargain bins at Matalan. They looked good, but like, it’s the final?! The producers MAJORLY let us down there.

One X user said: “Wearing t-shirts with suits instead of the full bowties they used to wear THIS IS NOT MY LOVE ISLAND.”

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In fact, the whole weird communal dinner

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The final dates got scrapped this year, and many viewers are convinced it’s because the budget was blown on Joey Essex. Instead, the final dates were disappointingly inside the villa. If you cast your minds back to previous seasons, you’ll remember just how extravagant the dates used to be, so this year was just plain disappointing.

A user on X commented: “Was the budget cut or something? Usually in the final dates it’s an intimate, individual thing that had all the bells and whistles. This just looks like the last supper with lots of flowers.”

Josh’s poem to Mimii was definitely… something

via ITV

This was chaotic for all the right reasons. Mimii telling Josh her love language is words of affirmation, and then him writing her a poem restores my faith in our generation. But, I wouldn’t call it revolutionary literature – every line started with “Mimii is”.

However, there’s no doubt it came from the heart: He even had everyone around the table welling up. After watching this, there’s no doubt that those two deserved the crown.

Meanwhile, the irrelevant dumped Islanders watched the final from an underwhelming Boohoo event in Manchester

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If you thought the final couldn’t get any more tragic, try being one of these guys last night.

Matilda’s middle finger to Ronnie

via ITV

Back in the villa, Matilda made an absolutely savage remark to Ronnie by flipping her middle finger at him. It came when Love Island host Maya Jama asked Matilda and Sean if they would be planning any double dates with Harriet and Ronnie, to which she shot back: “Well, I dunno if I want to,” and put up the finger. It was so weird and literally came out of nowhere.

Thankfully, Harriet and Ronnie laughed the situation off. At least there were some adults in the villa!

Apparently there’s ‘no hard feelings’ between Joey and the other Islanders, but it sure doesn’t seem that way

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Maya Jama asked Joey and Jessy if there was any bad blood between him and the other Islanders, as he’d left in an “awkward” manner. Jessy started with: “There’s no hard feelings at all,” only to be cut off by Joey who replied with “I mean it was savage, it was very personal to me, but I’m happy that I left Jessy out of it.” Seriously Joey, it’s not that hard to let Jessy finish talking (on an unrelated note, my new favourite drinking game is take a shot every time Joey Essex talked about himself).

The TOWIE star evidently isn’t over what happened in the villa, and despite the final landing on his birthday, he seemed to be in begrudging spirits.

Maya Jama’s backhanded comment to Jess

via ITV

During the final, host Maya Jama made a quip at dumped Jess, who had previously left the villa with a banging statement: “I’m the prize”. While she was announcing the winners of the prize, you may have missed Jama’s little dig: “Not you, Jess”. If I’d seen this on Twitter I know there would have been uproar. I guess it wouldn’t be the Love Island 2024 final without an unnecessary shade thrown at a female contestant. Mean girl much?!

Terrace-gate and Joey getting annoyed that HE messed up the secret mission

via ITV

Maya asked Mimii her feelings about the infamous terrace squabble: “Do you regret getting involved?”

Mimii replied with: “Oh, 100 per cent. I’ll never do such a thing in my life again.”

The camera then cut to Joey, looking pretty pissed off, while Maya said: “He didn’t really mention the secret mission, but Joey, you did mess up that one a little bit.” Lighten up Joey, you can’t win them all (although this might come as news to you).

Fans on twitter called the final a ‘sh*t show’

One fan posted to X (formerly Twitter): “I will never watch this sh*t show again.”

Another said: “After today’s Love Island finale I’m never watching it again.”

However, some fans rejoiced at the news that the final took place without the controversial celebrity contestant that spent his time in the villa causing drama. One viewer said: “a final without Joey Essex, WE WONNNN.”

For more like this look at the Love Island 2024 cast as meal deals and all the latest Love Island news and gossip, like The Holy Church of Love Island on Facebook.  

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